Page 81 - Mind, Body and Spirit 2016/17

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Spean Bridge March Pre
For the rst time on record, Northwood HQ entered into the prestigious Commando Speed March held annually at Spean Bridge, Fort William, 11 Apr 17. The event commemorates the original, initial test for all WW2 Commando recruits. Upon arrival at the local train station, the rst unexpected test was to traverse the arduous seven mile route from the train station to the entrance of the Commando Training Centre at Achnacarry House, carrying all their belongings in less than 60 minutes. The annual competition therefore replicates the same route with a weighted march in the same time limit.
The morning itself presented a very nervous yet excited mixture of emotions. Before the race began, LBdr Ben Parkinson who was unfortunately injured severely in Afghanistan, rode a tandem push bike with the former course record holder of 18 years........ (His time was to be broken 40 minutes later, Threaders!!) The race itself was everything I expected...Horrendous!! The team performed admirably, and as team with little to no training, 4 out of 5 of the team came in under the hour. That evening we attended the formal presentation dinner. It was close with 3 PARA taking the overall team honours. Northwood HQ surpassed expectations and nished 15th out of 28 teams.
I was lucky enough to not only meet LBdr Ben Parkinson who had completed the route earlier in the day but to present him with the ‘Shield in Honour of the Best Endeavour’. To run the course is hard enough, but to man it out using arms only deserves great respect.
Looking forward to May, Northwood HQ will enter the PARAS 10 race in the team event looking to build on the performances of previous events. Northwood HQ’s running club entered a team of 13 personnel into the Fleet Half Marathon. Four members came
Spean Bridge Post
Fleet Half Pre race
in under 90 minutes with an ever impressive Cdr Geordie Klein (Navy), a seasoned distance runner recorded a time of 1 hour 14minutes 28 seconds. He claimed to be slowing down in his old age! After the race it was followed by ‘A’ beer and some pub grub to refuel some tired bodies. A fantastic effort by all and a look forward to the next big event which is the Virgin Money London Marathon where there are 5 personnel entered for the race.
Busy times at Northwood HQ which is part and parcel of the tempo and I look forward to the remainder of the year and the events that unfold. Well done Northwood HQ!!
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